Apple Says Fix Planned for 'You Do Not Have Permission to Open the Application' Error When Using a Scanner on Mac [Updated]
Update 23/9: Apple has updated its support document indicating that this issue can be resolved by installing the latest macOS Big Sur 11.6 update.
In a newly published support document on its website, Apple has acknowledged an error that some users may receive when they try to use a scanner with a Mac in the Image Capture app, Preview app, or the Printers & Scanners section of System Preferences.
When attempting to use a scanner with a Mac, Apple said users might get an error message indicating they do not have permission to open the application, followed by the name of the scanner driver. The message says to contact a computer or network administrator for assistance, or indicates that the Mac failed to open a connection to the device.
The error message starts with: "You do not have permission to open the application."
Affected users have shared complaints about this issue across the Apple Support Communities, Reddit, HP Support Community, and elsewhere. The error message appears to be affecting users on multiple versions of macOS Big Sur.
Apple said this issue is expected to be resolved in a future software update, but no timeframe was given. In the meantime, the support document provides step-by-step instructions on how to temporarily resolve the issue:
- Quit any apps that are open.
- From the menu bar in the Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder.
- Type /Library/Image Capture/Devices, then press Return.
- In the window that opens, double-click the app named in the error message. It's the name of your scanner driver. Nothing should happen when you open it.
- Close the window and open the app you were using to scan. A new scan should proceed normally. If you later choose to scan from a different app and get the same error, repeat these steps.
This article will be updated when Apple releases a macOS update with a permanent fix.
Popular Stories
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series in the fall, and a possible September 10 announcement date has been floated this year, which means we are just one month away from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design...
Apple's M3 MacBook Pro is seeing multiple high value discounts on Best Buy and Amazon today, with up to $1,000 off select models. This includes a new all-time low price on the entry-level M3 512GB 14-inch MacBook Pro at $1,299.00, down from $1,599.00, and a massive $1,000 discount on the high-end 16-inch model exclusively for Best Buy members. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best...
Multiple rumors have suggested that the iPhone 16 models are going to have an all-new button that's designed to make it easier to capture photos when the devices are held in landscape mode. Apple calls the button the Capture Button internally, and it is going to be one of the most advanced buttons that's been introduced to date with support for multiple gestures and the ability to respond to ...
Apple is beta testing iOS 18 and the first update to iOS 18 concurrently, and we got the second betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 today alongside the sixth betas of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia 15. Many of the changes in iOS 18.1 are focused on bringing the .1 betas in line with the standard betas, which recently received updates to Photos and Safari, while...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
Apple's rumored iPhone 17 "Slim" could be positioned as an iPhone "Air" to boost sales, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained how the "fourth" model in the iPhone lineup since 2020 (the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone 15 Plus) has largely been a commercial failure. In the case of the Plus model,...
